The Problem with Malfunctioning 'Gates
by Hawkeye4077
Summary: When the iris refuses to close, Cheyenne Mountain is overrun by Apophis and his Jaffa. Can the SGC prevent a Goa'uld takeover of Earth? Some time during season 3 but before Sam's promotion. Jack whump, violence, swearing.
1. Chapter 1

"INCOMING TRAVELLER!" Announced the loudspeakers as alarm beacons flooded the drab grey corridors with flashing red light. Colonel Jack O'Neill, wandering nonchalantly around the complex, bored, set off running down the corridor to the control room and arrived just in time to hear Sergeant Walter Davis – chief gate technician – report an iris malfunction to General Hammond. Jack stood next to the general and silently observed the Stargate spinning. Several chevrons had already engaged but there was a distinct lack of the metal iris. "What do you mean, it doesn't work?!" Hammond yelled at the cowering sergeant, "Security to the gate room!" He spat into the microphone as the sixth chevron engaged. The final chevron engaged and the wormhole established with its characteristic "kawoosh". "All teams report to the 'gate room in full assault gear! All non-military personnel are ordered to evacuate," He added hastily as a stream of Serpent Guards marched through the Stargate into the gate room staff weapons poised. In the middle of the advancing Jaffa stood a golden figure no one wanted to see - Apophis.

The rest of SG-1 - Captain Carter, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c - had joined Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond in the gate room a few moments earlier and Carter had the presence of mind to slam her hand onto the button controlling the blast doors moments before staff blasts struck the screen dividing the two rooms. "Initiate full lockdown!" Hammond instructed. He turned back to SG-1 only to find them already geared up and ready to go. "SG-1 you have a go!"

As they strode from the room, O'Neill encouraged his team, "Kids let's go kick some Goa'uld butts! Try and get to the surface and hold the fort there." They split wordlessly into two two-man teams – Carter and Daniel, O'Neill and Teal'c – before setting off down yet another nondescript corridor towards the sounds of gunfire and staff blasts.

***

Twenty minutes later and after intense fighting, the invading Goa'uld had captured three quarters of the SGC personnel, including Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Frasier, after twice as many Jaffa had surrounded them in the commissary. The group were now being held, disarmed, in the isolation rooms. Teal'c had narrowly avoided capture by hiding in a storage cupboard but was unable to prevent his friend's capture. He now stood motionless and silent waiting for the Jaffa to pass before making a swift exit.

Frasier stood next to O'Neill, who was cradling his right arm gingerly, and examined a charred wound on his arm where he had caught a staff blast. At that moment, one of the patrolling Jaffa passed the pair and, upon deciding he didn't like the gasps of pain as the doctor bandaged the injury, swung his staff at the colonel. There was an audible 'crack' as at least one of his ribs fractured. He attempted to stifle his cry and almost succeeded with only a hiss escaping his pursed lips and crumpled to the floor clutching his painful side. "Colonel, are you ok?" Frasier asked and, after receiving a muffled grunt which she took as a "Yeah, just peachy!" she stood up cautiously, looking for the Jaffa. Catching the eyes of several of the other Jaffa, she got the impression that they hadn't seen anything wrong with the attack and, after making sure there were no other Jaffa moving in to 'help', promptly sat down next to Jack again and began trying to discover the extent of the damage.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam and Daniel, meanwhile, had been forced to the surface up an escape tunnel after they had been vastly outnumbered in a different - although equally drab – corridor and forced to retreat. The pair were crouched behind an upturned desk in a corner of the narrow corridor. There had been no word from Colonel O'Neill or Teal'c but Sam was not overly concerned.

_They've probably got their hands full like us._

As she mulled over possible reasons for the radio silence she became aware of someone's large frame sprinting towards them. As it came closer she recognised it as another of her teammates – Teal'c. She shouted to him, trying to make herself heard over the sound of multiple staff blasts colliding with the concrete walls, "Teal'c! Behind the desk!" Daniel barely had time to shuffle back from the table as Teal'c launched himself over its lip and crashed down in front of Daniel. "I believe more Jaffa have come through since we left the control room" Teal'c – ever the observant - stated whilst firing his staff weapon at the mass of Jaffa following him down the corridor. "I think you're probably right Teal'c," Carter replied whilst rattling off bullets into the group of slowly advancing Jaffa. "Sam I think we should get out of here!" Daniel yelled, "I'm running out of ammo."

"Not yet! I'm not giving up yet!" Sam yelled back. Suddenly there was a loud grunt from Teal'c as he took a staff blast in the chest. "Teal'c!" Carter called as she wheeled round to see, "Ok maybe you're right Daniel! Give me a hand with Teal'c." Sam shoved the desk as hard as she could and managed to tip it over allowing them to run to the nearest escape hatch, dragging Teal'c between them, adrenaline giving them the strength to carry his heavy frame. Immediately they began climbing. Teal'c – who was fortunately still conscious - went second which allowed his symbiote a little time to heal the cauterised wound. Their progress was painfully slow but finally they reached the exit hatch and hauled themselves out. A couple of persistent Jaffa had followed them halfway up the long ladder but when Carter dropped both her remaining grenades down the tunnel there was little escape for them. Carter then secured the hatch. She rubbed her eyes, turned and walked over to join Teal'c and Daniel who were both resting against a large tree.

~-~

O'Neill quickly fell unconscious when Dr. Frasier started to prod his ribs, checking for breaks.

_I could have told her something was broken_ he thought _she doesn't need to break anymore trying to find the first break._

He would have rolled his eyes if only they weren't shut and they hadn't just rolled back anyway as he slipped into a slightly less painful sleep.

When he woke, Frasier looked as though she wanted to do another investigative probe around his painful ribs. His glare made her realise how difficult he would make it. She decided to catalogue his injuries. "You have at least two broken ribs sir, but I don't think they have splintered or punctured anything, thankfully." Dr. Frasier told her angry patient. "But if you start coughing blood or finding it difficult to breathe, you have got to tell me."

"Yeah I know, I haven't forgotten the Antarctic, Dr." O'Neill replied edgily.

"Colonel..." Janet ventured.

"What!"

"Sorry, it's nothing." She muttered as she scurried away from O'Neill to see to the other injuries SGC personnel had received during the fighting. O'Neill settled into the most comfortable position he could whilst lying on the cold concrete floor.

_Why can't military floors be made of something a little more comfortable than concrete._

He eventually fell asleep. Again.

Excruciating pain was the first thing O'Neill noticed on waking and tried to sit up.

_Crap! Not a good idea then._

He lowered his head back to the concrete floor, his eyes clamped shut, gritting his teeth against the stabbing pain, and tried to remember what had happened. After a few minutes the pain had receded to a throbbing ache, only flaring up when he moved, he contemplated pretending to still be asleep but Dr. Frasier had spotted his grimaces and was now checking his pulse. "Colonel, can you hear me?" She asked, concerned by the weak pulse she found. He groaned inwardly and ignored her hoping she would go away and leave him alone but it only made things worse. Frasier brought out a penlight and after peeling his eyelids back, shone the bright light into his face. He scrunched his eyes, trying to shut out the light, when it refused to, he tried to sit up again. Big mistake. "Colonel, can you hear me?" She repeated, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder forcing him back down onto to the cold floor, as he coughed harshly. "Sergeant Siler, help me roll him onto his side!" Dr. Frasier called urgently to the nearest USAF employee she could see.

_Must be bad _Jack thought _she never normally shouts at anyone: unless I'm being a particularly stubborn patient._

Soon after being rolled onto his side, O'Neill had started coughing and it was getting worse but he had not yet started bringing up blood. He had, however, succumbed to unconsciousness once again. His breathing was shallow and coarse and his skin had become pale and clammy. Janet knew he may have internal bleeding but couldn't help thinking things were about to get much worse than a couple of broken ribs.

~-~

"Hey, Teal'c how's the chest?" Sam asked the giant Jaffa leaning against one of the many trees that surrounded Cheyenne Mountain. "It has improved Captain Carter. My symbiote is repairing the damage quickly now that we are at rest." Teal'c replied. The giant man inclined his head, "I am sorry Captain Carter but I was unable to prevent Colonel O'Neill's capture by the false god, Apophis."

"I'm sure you did everything you could Teal'c Sprawled out next to Sam, Daniel was translating a Goa'uld tablet he had been unintentionally carrying in his pocket. "What are we going to do now Sam, all the vehicles we could use are in the parking lot _under _the mountain and I left my cell in my office." Daniel moaned at Sam.

"Calm down Daniel, I have my cell," Sam brought flipped open her phone and scanned the screen, "Ok, two problems. One there's no reception out here and two mine's almost completely flat. So I guess we either walk to Colorado Springs and somehow find a secure phone or we go check out the guard post and see if there's a usable radio."

"In that case I opt for going _to_ the Goa'uld!" Daniel muttered clearly not happy about the options presented to him. "Daniel Jackson, are you unwilling to assist in the rescue of your colleagues and retaking Cheyenne Mountain?" Teal'c asked bluntly.

"It's not that Teal'c, it's just I'm not used to being this side of a hostage situation." Daniel admitted.

Sam had already started off through the trees towards the entrance to Cheyenne Mountain and Teal'c and Daniel had to run to catch up with her.

Soon the trio reached the perimeter fence and, after following it, came to the road which disappeared into the belly of the complex through a large tunnel. The security team was nowhere to be seen and the escapees were able to slip into the complex unhampered and undetected. After working their way into the guard house they found, to their horror, cut phone lines and smashed radios. "Who the hell…?" Carter cursed. "Looks like SG-1's going to have to save the day, again, only this time without Colonel O'Neill." Carter dashed outside and through the tunnel, closely followed by Teal'c and Daniel, hoping to reach a vehicle before the Jaffa found a way to breach the 4ft reinforced concrete door which had closed as soon as the lockdown had been ordered. Unfortunately the Jaffa had brought along several staff canons and were blasting their way through every blast door and cement blockade in their path.


	3. Chapter 3

The heavy metal door crashed open allowing a large group of Serpent Guards entry to the dark holding cells and a group of six Jaffa gathered around O'Neill and Frasier, zat'n'ktels at the ready. O'Neill's eyes wearily blinked open as the Jaffa overshadowed his prone form on the floor. Without a word two small groups of Jaffa roughly hauled Jack and Sergeant Siler – who was silently observing the unfolding events from opposite O'Neill - to their feet, a hoarse groan letting Dr. Frasier know that Col. O'Neill was conscious once again . They were dragged from the crowded room despite loud protests, both from Dr. Frasier and several of the other occupants - who were silenced by staff weapons pointed menacingly in their direction. As the pair were hauled through the heavy metal doors and past the other cells, the colonel noticed General Hammond – who had also been captured ten minutes after a large portion of his subordinates had been vastly outnumbered in the commissary - standing behind a metal grate in one of the neighbouring cell doors. Colonel O'Neill's Special Forces training kicked in and – despite the searing pain it caused to his injured arm and his impaired consciousness- he used quick hand movements to communicate their situation to General Hammond. However the Jaffa marched too quickly for O'Neill to see his CO's response and soon the two soldiers had been flung into two separate cells, side by side, at the other end of the corridor.

O'Neill was now fully conscious but, although the pain in his chest had subsided after being thrown unceremoniously into another concrete box, had to concentrate hard to prevent himself from falling back into an almost blissful sleep. He glanced at his watch and was shocked to see that almost an hour and a half had passed since he had been manhandled into this second uncomfortable cell. As he sat leaning against the cold wall breathing heavily and supporting the arm his _favourite _doctor had been unable to put in a sling opposite the door, he heard footsteps and swiftly moved behind the door.

BOOM!

The metal door roared open and in strode two armed Jaffa closely followed by their leader, Apophis.

_Look who joined the party!_

Shivers ran down his spine as he caught sight of the ribbon device in the system lord's right hand.

_Oh crap!_

He thought grimly as his head spun with memories of Iraqi prison. He tried, and failed, to stand up several times but, even with the support of the cell walls, his legs refused to hold up his wavering body and he collapsed back to the floor. Or he would have done had a Jaffa with limbs like tree trunks not grabbed him with unbelievable speed and spun him round to face the wall. His arms were wrenched viciously back, stabbing pain bolting through his body – it felt like both his shoulders had been dislocated, and his wrists bound. "SHIIIIT!" The massive Jaffa put an equally huge hand on the man's shoulder and tried to wrestle him to the ground "Kree tal lok!" – "Kneel before your God!" – however Jack used his diminishing strength to stubbornly defy him. It was a futile act and was rewarded with a metal covered fist to his already bruised ribs and a blow to the backs of his knees with a staff forcing him to kneel. He snatched at each subsequent breath, his chest screaming. Seeing that the colonel was in no state to attack, Apophis motioned to the smaller of the two guards to leave.

Apophis stooped close to Jack's pained face, "Hasshak! You _will_ tell me what I want to know. It's not a matter of _if _but rather _when_," he hissed, "Your colleague has already told me what I need to know about your _program_: now I want to know about Tau'ri culture so I can tell when it has been obliterated." He brought out a long curved knife and held it up, inspecting it. Jack feared the worst but dared not show it as the system lord bent down and in three deft swipes cut the green cloth covering his torso from him. Apophis laughed loudly as he took in the extensive bruising across Jack's chest and then punched him squarely on the temple, knocking him to the ground – out cold - once more. Apophis straightened up and studied the defenceless figure on the floor in disgust. Blood had begun to seep from the resultant cut and was streaming down his cheek and dripping onto the grey floor. Apophis turned to the remaining Jaffa and said, in Goa'uld, "When he wakes, have some fun with him. Do not kill him, understand?" The Jaffa nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of an explosion tore through the facilities top floor reaching SG-1 in the car park still scuttling around to find an unlocked car. "Damn! There goes the last blockade," Sam yelled to Daniel and Teal'c who were fifty feet to her right checking cars. "We have been unsuccessful in our search Captain Carter," Teal'c shouted over the sound of at least sixty Jaffa storming towards the trio, "Should we not make our escape now?"

_Shit shit shit! If we make a run for it we're signing the death certificates of millions of people – including the colonel's._

"Captain Carter?!"

_He was always better at this kind of stuff. Shit!_

"Sam?!"

"Ok! Daniel, Teal'c, get back to the entrance and take your P-90s – if any of them make it out of the SGC we're screwed. I'm going to get more ammo. Time we made a stand!" She made sure they had started running then sprinted in the opposite direction towards one of the many weapon cupboards.

~-~

Jack woke to an excruciating headache. He tried to raise his hands to his face but they were bound behind his back. His shoulders had stiffened making the slightest movement agonizing. His breathing was shallow and painful – he was lying on his right side, his good side, and his lungs were struggling to work to their full capacity with the deadweight of his broken ribs further burdening them. He tried to roll onto his back but again his arms got in the way and his shoulders screamed in protest.

_Where the hell am I? What the hell happened?_

He peered through his scrunched eyelids and gradually his brain placed the jigsaw pieces together.

_So I'm still at the SGC then._

He noticed an ominous figure standing against the opposite wall and finally registered it. The mountain of a man sneered threateningly and laughed manically before raining blow after blow to his victim's exposed body.

After twenty minutes of beating the Jaffa had become bored with simple kicks and punches to Jack's torso, arms and legs and began to get cruel – standing the shaking man on his unsteady legs and then laughing as he watched him struggle for muscle control and his following collapse. For Jack it was humiliating and he hoped none of his colleagues ever saw him like this, least of all Sam. When the Jaffa was sure O'Neill could not fight back he removed the cord binding his wrists.

_What the hell is he removing those for?_

Jack thought, his eyes threatening to roll back for about the sixth time in the last half an hour - he wished they would. Soon it became clear that the giant was not simply satisfied by the sight of blood oozing from angry red welts criss-crossing Jack's chest and arms – he wanted serious, unbearable pain. It was like he had a personal grievance against the officer.

_Maybe he was one of Ra's Jaffa...Hell of a grudge though._

Irrelevant thoughts flashed through Jack's mind as the Jaffa wrestled Jack's right arm into an arm lock behind his back and viciously stomped his huge foot into the back of his right knee. Jack spun round to momentarily face his assailant who, through Jack's squinting eyes, looked to be enjoying himself and still gripped O'Neill's now dislocated arm before the vice-like grip was relaxed. He did not even try to suppress his weak shout as he was released. The shock and pain had numbed his reactions and he failed to realise he was falling. He crumpled to the floor landing heavily on his chest with a sickening crunch and snapping of bone. He was out before he hit the floor, mercifully. The Jaffa stepped back and, satisfied with his handiwork, bound Jack's now limp arms behind his back again despite the distortion of his shoulder and lower arm, smiled contentedly and left.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack could just about hear the appalling sound of flesh on flesh and flesh on concrete in the next cell over the loud and very annoying buzzing noise in his ears, but what disturbed him most of all were the strangled cries of pain. Jack moved as far from the adjoining wall as he could but still the horrific noises crept into his thoughts, infecting his battle scarred mind_._ His mind flitted back to before Charlie's death eventually uncovering the deeply hidden memories of Iraq.

'"_Jonathon O'Neill 69-4-141, United States Air Force" _

"_What are the proposed troop movements?!"_

"_Jonathon O'Neill 69-4-141, United States Air Force"_

_The clean shaven man shook his head angrily. Each time I gave him my "Tell me!"_

"_Jonathon O'Neill 69-4-141, United States Air Force"_

_They were losing patience and dragged me towards a large trough of water "Let's make this interesting"'_

Jack was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't even notice the door to his cell being swung open and Apophis entering, followed by his First Prime, At'lek.

A mocking voice interrupted his trip down memory lane, "Colonel Jack O'Neill,"

"Apophis," Jack knew that smarmy voice even when he was 7000 miles away. He looked up from the cold, uncomfortable floor but did not stand. Jack knew he would fail if he tried.

"Now tell me how to get out of this…place."

Jack almost growled in reply but instead decided to spit out "Bite me, you snakehead son of a bitch!"

Apophis' First Prime was on Jack in an instant, "Obi tan, Jaffa! Careful now Colonel we wouldn't want any _more_ harm to come to the prospective new host of Goa'uld larvae." The First Prime backed off slowly, "At'lek here is much like your dead friend the shol'va Teal'c, At'lek, however, is loyal to no god but me."

"If you don't mind I was kinda in the middle of something when you and your goons so rudely interrupted. You _can_ find your way to the door can't you?" Jack replied scathingly, earning a swift kick in the ribs. "Do not worry O'Neill, you _will _talk, your neighbour already has, why do you still resist – there is no hope for the Tau'ri anyway." With that Apophis and his "goons" strode through the open cell door, slamming it shut behind them and leaving Jack to stew in his own misery and pain.

~-~

Sam waddled, weighed down by the vast array of weapons and ammo, through the narrow corridor and swept round the corner; meeting raised, and then hastily lowered, P-90 muzzles. Daniel's eyes widened at the all the ammo she was carrying, stuffed hurriedly into bulging pockets, "We thought you were a Jaffa because of all the clinking," the young doctor chuckled, sounding relieved, as Sam began emptying her socks of magazines. Their reunion was cut short by the sound of approaching Jaffa "You didn't meet any SGC personnel on your way here did you?" Daniel asked hopefully.

_I hope she did. Please, for once can we have some good news? Please Sam, don't say it._

"Sorry Daniel," Sam said, efficiently distributing ammo and weapons to the others as a pair of Jaffa clinked slowly round the corner. As the first blast whizzed above their heads and charred the concrete wall behind them, the trio ducked round the nearest corner. No words were spoken between them – they were entirely unnecessary – and they moved as one, shooting into action, an action so well oiled that they could do it in their sleep. The reports of their guns as they returned fire were deafening in the enclosed corridor, but they did not stop. A continuous stream of enemies flowed round the corner, staffs poised and firing energy bursts towards the team.

Behind the constant surge of Jaffa, one contacted Apophis using a handheld long-range communications device reporting the resistance his forces had encountered.


	6. Chapter 6

"Kel Apophis!"

"Ma'kree!"

"Tel tok Tau'ri!"

"Kel mal tek Tau'ri! Tel nok helak"

General Hammond turned to Dr. Jackson's translation assistant "What are they saying?"

"Erm…Well I'm not as proficient as Dr. Jackson but I think some of our guys have escaped to the surface; the Jaffa Apophis sent up there met some resistance. Apophis is going up to kill them now." The young man blushed as he noticed every face in the room had turned to look at him.

"Right we have to get out of here and with Apophis on the surface that will be a lot easier." The General pointed at a lieutenant slumped against the wall "You start tapping out what's happened to the cell on our left, tell them to do the same for those in the next cells."

"Yessir!" The lieutenant began thumping the wall loudly with his palm. General Hammond winced at the lieutenant's loud affirmation and turned to Walter who was bandaging his charred upper arm where a staff blast had caught him, "Walter, lie on the floor and pretend to be unconscious!" and then wheeled back to the translator, "What's your name son?"

"Mark...Mark Horner...sir"

"Right Mark, go to the door and persuade the Jaffa that we need to get Walter here to the infirmary and soon." Turning to command the others, General Hammond was greeted by silent acknowledgements, showing they knew what to do.

The inexperienced linguist turned away from the viewing window of the door, sweat glistening on his forehead, "Ok they're going to open the door any second now. What are we going to do?" Hammond's voice was lowered from its usual boom to little more than a whisper, "You're going to stand back and we're going to charge them as soon as the doors open." He turned to the soldiers gathering behind him in the cramped cell, "Ready?" They simply nodded. He was about to go over the plan once more when the clunk of the door being unlocked rang out. The metal barrier swung outwards slightly and then the soldiers charged, forcing it wide and knocking the Jaffa to the ground where he was promptly relieved of his zat and staff weapon. The remaining three Jaffa were killed or zatted unconscious and, after being relieved of their weapons, were thrown in to the previously occupied cell. General Hammond had grabbed the keys and unlocked the other cells. He was pulled to one side as the escapees rushed to gun lockers "Give me the keys!" Hammond found himself staring at Dr. Janet Frasier,

"Excuse…"

"Sorry sir." Without waiting for him to release his grip, Janet ripped the keys from his hands and sprinted towards the end cells. General Hammond quickly regained his composure and began yelling instructions to his subordinates: get to the surface; secure the gate.

~-~

The attacking Jaffa had gradually edged towards SG-1's holding position – they needed to move out and quickly – using dead and injured "brothers" as cover. SG-1 were nearly out of ammunition whereas the advancing army had unlimited ammo. Sam crept round the corner only to swiftly retreat under a hail of energy blasts. There was a sudden deafening cry from the Jaffa before they began chanting. "Kel mal tak Tau'ri! Kel mal tak Tau'ri! Kel mal tak Tau'ri!" Sam turned to Teal'c questioningly

"What does that mean?"

"It translates as "Destroy the people of Earth!" Captain Carter."

A voice rang out over the uproar sending even more adrenaline coursing through Sam and Daniel's veins "Rin nok! Who are you, humans? Is it possible you are the remaining members of S…G…1?"

Daniel looked worriedly at Sam and mouthed "remaining?" Surely Apophis hadn't killed. "I take your silence as a yes. Then the shol'va Teal'c is also present, correct?"

Teal'c stepped out into the corridor and faced his former god, weapon at the ready. "Indeed Apophis you are correct." He looked beyond his adversary and began to speak in Goa'uld to the Serpent Guards "You serve a false God." At this several of the Jaffa shouted insults and laughed. "Shel kek nem ron!" Teal'c shouted above the insults and then ducked back round the corner moments before a blast from Apophis' hand device would have impacted against him. Sam took advantage of Apophis' attempts to silence his army and instructed her friends to make a run for the security hut – they were nearly out of ammo anyway. She would bring up the rear.


	7. Chapter 7

_What if Col. O'Neill's dead? How would I ever console Sam?_ Janet fretted as she rocketed towards the cells she believed O'Neill and Siler to be being held in. As she neared the end of the continual row of cells she slowed and began opening each door until eventually – and with much relief – she opened a door and was met by a very much alive Sgt. Siler

_Thank God!_

"Sergeant, are you ok?" His head lifted slowly from his chest and she saw fear change to relief as his brown eyes recognised her. "Doctor Frasier?" He croaked.

_Dehydration but no other serious injuries that I can see_

Janet analysed the colonel's condition

_A lot of cuts and bruises but he's had a lot worse. But if it's only him in here..._

"Sergeant, where's Colonel O'Neill?" His eyes blurred and seemed to lose focus for a moment. His tired eyes lost focus for a moment before he managed to whisper "He's in the next cell I think."

"Colonel?" Janet's voice was strained as she scanned the room. She checked behind the door and, sure enough, lying on his right side, unconscious on the cold, hard floor, his pale face still contorted in pain, was Colonel O'Neill. "Oh god?!" Blood had seeped from his mouth and nose and now dribbled down his cheek culminating in a drip of red liquid which consequently dropped to a small crimson puddle on the grey floor. There was a larger blood pool where it ran off his lacerated chest. Janet carefully knelt down beside him. She could not suppress her gasp at the sight of the battered man.

_Apophis: that son of a bitch!_

She felt for his carotid pulse: weak; and checked his breathing: shallow.

"Colonel O'Neill… Can you hear me? It's Doctor Frasier." No response. "Come on," she muttered, "Colonel I need you to wake up!" All Jack heard was a slightly higher pitched Apophis and not the words. _Must be getting agitated if he's getting high pitched!_ He felt fingers put pressure on his neck_ Leave me alone already Apophis - or kill me – I'm not saying a word!_ Jack wanted to scream but his mouth would not obey and simply cracked open and shut imperceptibly. "Colonel, come on, it's Doctor Frasier. It's Janet!" She pleaded. Janet examined the prone figure more closely and noticed the faint movements of his cracked and bloody lips. "Open your eyes Jack." She ordered softly, watching for any response as she felt his pulse for the second time. By this time Siler had managed to shuffle into the cell and now stood taking in the sight of blood spattered up the walls. "I'm not going to hurt you but...Apophis might when he comes back!" A faint wave of recollection rippled over his face and his tired eyelids unclamped themselves and slowly flickered open, a flash of fear was visible before being rapidly repressed. Janet picked up on the fear and regretted frightening the usually calm man but it had done its job.

Jack smiled faintly as he recognized her. Janet smiled back but the grin was replaced with a concerned frown as a pained expression shrouded the man's face – Janet had been gently running her hands over his bloodied and bruised chest. He could not feel one of his arms and tried to tell Janet the problem but again found he had lost the ability to speak. He decided to do it himself and – forgetting the binds – shifted his left arm, his right was unresponsive for some reason – he could not remember why. He groaned as pain shot through his ribs and right arm as the binds resisted his effort and dragged his numb arm underneath him, restoring some circulation._ Ah yes the binds...And a dislocated shoulder...at least! Now I remember. _He rolled his eyes – Janet thought he might be falling unconscious again and started up another round of '"Can you hear me?"'. Janet noticed the cause of the problem and promptly set about untying the cord thongs. "Doc...aak" Jack croaked, finally able to speak. She carefully manoeuvred his numb arm, trying to discover the extent of the damage to it.

_I need to fix that shoulder._

"Colonel, your shoulder is dislocated. I need to put it back in."

"I know...is...is Siler 'k?"

"He's ok sir, in fact, he's right here colonel." She turned to the sergeant, "I need you to hold him down while I do this." He obliged and knelt down next to the injured man.

"Ok on three…This is going to hurt colonel…1…2…3"

You could not hear the grating of bone as Frasier slowly rotated O'Neill's arm in front of him, gripping his hand, over his cry.

_You're telling me!_

He blacked out again.

Whilst the Colonel was unconscious Janet assessed his major injuries before investigating the lesser lacerations peppering O'Neill's weathered face. One, two inches long and just below his grey hairline oozing sticky blood which had matted his hair and run across his forehead, would undoubtedly require stitching. She noticed the scar just above his left eye which had remained as a reminder of their encounter with The Touched. Col. O'Neill would soon have another scar running almost parallel to the existing one, an inch-long cut dribbled blood down his cheek. She looked over the rest of his battered face and it became immediately apparent that his nose was broken from just the way it was now crooked. Taking advantage of the colonel's unconscious state, Janet quickly gripped it with one hand and manoeuvred it gratingly back into place. She had neither tape nor nasal splints however and so doubted it would heal straight unless someone reset it.

~-~

"Ahhh...Crap!"

"Colonel don't move, you're ok but we're still in Cheyenne Mountain. How'd you feel, sir?"

"Sore…tired…pissed." He took shallow, rasping breaths between each word. Siler, leaning against the far wall, chuckled quietly.

"Perfect military answer. Now, we finished fixing your shoulder while you were out but you still have three broken ribs and a broken nose. Not to mention the two broken fingers and you've picked up on your right hand. I believe your wrist is broken too."Jack grimaced, half in pain, half in fear of all the physiotherapy he would undoubtedly have to endure. "We need to move though. Do you think you can walk?" Siler asked nervously.

Jack grimaced again, "If you can...get me off this floor...my butt's numb!" Siler laughed, "Don't make me laugh…please!" Jack pleaded, his shoulders shook as he struggled to stop himself from laughing and pain shot through his chest and shoulder. The exertion ended in a hacking coughing fit interspersed with spitting out blood. Siler apologized before turning to Janet who was checking O'Neill's pulse again, "We don't want to be here when those bastards get back so can we get a move on, Doctor Frasier?"

"Sergeant, I need a few minutes to determine if his concussion is so severe that he shouldn't be moved." She had not even turned to face Siler but continued checking Jack over. She forced him to sit up against the wall before producing a penlight from somewhere and checked his pupil reactions. "He's ok, his concussion isn't as bad as I feared, we just need a sling for that arm of his," She scanned the room and then pointed to the shreds of green fabric – formerly O'Neill's BDU jacket – "Pass that here, sergeant." In a couple of minutes Janet had rustled up a temporary sling and managed to put it on Jack with only a few grumbles and snatched expletives. Siler stood and offered his hand to the colonel who reached up gratefully with his free and uninjured arm and, despite the excruciating complaints from his injuries, hauled himself up off the floor.

The room spun and Jack would have collapsed had his subordinate not grabbed his shoulders and held him up. His legs were feeble and aching and threatened to give way at any time. His vision blurred, his eyelids barely open, and he felt his head droop to touch his chest. Dr. Frasier, concerned as ever, softly tilted his head back and flashed her penlight once again into his eyes. "Colonel, can you hear me?" She shone her light in his face and immediately came to a conclusion "His lips are tinged blue – it means he's bleeding internally, not heavily at the moment, but enough to cause shock. It could be from the fractured ribs. We need to get a move on." O'Neill's eyes were dull and half closed but he clung on to consciousness as Siler carefully moved into position on his left side with his right arm draped behind the older man's back, hooking it under his armpit. Gingerly, Jack limped to the door – his legs stiff as well as weak – supported Siler.


	8. Chapter 8

&-& Author's Notes – Apologies for the long spells between chapters but I have been inundated with homework and revision for some important tests (it's not even half way through the second term and I already need another holiday o_0'). Anyway just apologising in advance in case I take even longer to upload the next few. Also I am British not American so sorry if some of the words aren't quite right. &-&

The diminutive doctor cautiously stalked down the corridor on point – soldier first, doctor second. After no more than fifty yards they reached the first unlocked weapons locker. The doctor swapped positions with Siler, taking just as much care to avoid causing further pain for O'Neill, to allow the sergeant to gear up with weapons thankfully left behind for them by the other personnel. The short journey had left O'Neill breathing heavily and he gladly accepted the chance to rest. Siler fitted multiple zat holsters around his legs and swung two P-90 straps over his shoulders – one on each side. Janet also grabbed a couple of zats and clipped one to her patient although she doubted if, with a badly broken arm and his currently blurry vision, he would be able to find the target. Just before leaving the room, Siler turned to his supported colleague who had improved slightly during the short rest, the stiffness in his legs had almost gone completely – replaced by a dull ache in his knackered knees - and his breathing had improved - almost back to its harsh rasping. "Do you think you can manage a ladder? Or do we need to go out the front door?"

O'Neill attempted a faint smile – knowing Siler was just trying to distract him - but again fell short and ended up grimacing, "With a broken arm?...Yeah sure, why not?" he half-joked then, seeing the solemn faces staring critically at him, he repented, "Yeah I think I can...piece of cake!"

They exited the weapons locker and slowly made their way to the nearest emergency exit, ignoring the scorch marks and bullet holes in the walls. They encountered no resistance – "Maybe their moms called...them home for dinner," – and reached the same hatch that the rest of SG-1 had. The hatch was ajar and there was an ominous red puddle in the corridor. Cautiously, using the muzzle of her P-90, Frasier swung the hatch wide open revealing two sets of nauseatingly twisted and charred Jaffa body parts, taking great care to avoid stepping in the pool of coagulating blood and the jellyfish-like blobs of flesh and shattered bone littering the floor. Despite being an army medic with years of experience looking at just such disturbing sights, she could not help flinching and retreated from the revolting scene back up the corridor towards her colleagues. Siler, who had swapped places with Frasier and was now supporting O'Neill, had slowly lowered his charge to the ground ten metres from the hatch, allowing him to rest his weary legs. Now, standing opposite the doctor, he wondered what could have possibly repelled the experienced medic, "Doctor Frasier…?" He probed, before a disgustingly pungent stink infiltrated his senses – the reek of burnt flesh. She simply nodded him in the direction of the hatch. Siler turned warily towards the stench and was greeted by the destroyed black bodies. "What on Earth…?" he muttered before turning away to vomit. "I've never seen anything like this…" he said, trailing off before he threw up again.

"I have sergeant; it was _not_ a nice experience."

'_Blackened body parts were scattered in both directions down the pipe. Four airmen had apparently been attempting to infiltrate a nearby camp and had been using the small network of sewage pipes. Obviously the pipes had been deemed a possible point of entry by the enemy base and rigged with IEDs incorporating an awful lot of high explosives and motion sensors. The resulting explosion had ripped through the pipe killing three of the unsuspecting airmen instantly and leaving one with no legs and one eye. The stench of cooked flesh would not remove itself from my hair or clothes – I walked around base for three days reeking of the disgusting smell._'

"I believe someone placed at least one grenade in this escape route and the ensuing explosion…well…" She could think of nothing to say and gesticulated towards the black mass. Siler had recovered from the initial shock and, after fashioning some make-shift gloves from the remaining shreds of O'Neill's shirt, began the unenviable job of hauling the devastated body parts through the hatch and into the corridor. Frasier offered to help but, when he pointed silently towards O'Neill, she returned to check on her patient. He was barely conscious but his breathing had settled into a regular, if shallow, rhythm. His pulse, on the other hand, was anything but regular. As Janet gently felt for a radial pulse, he stirred. "Hey, how're you feeling?"

His dry lips barely made a whisper and Janet had to lean closer to catch his response, "Wa…er?"

"Sorry we don't have any colonel. We'll be on the surface soon then we'll get you some. Ok?" His response went unheard as Siler motioned towards the open hatch, "Let's go before we get caught." Janet bent down to help O'Neill up from the cold floor.

"Doctor you go first, I'll bring up the rear."

"Sergeant I may have to treat Colonel O'Neill whilst ascending the ladder, I think I should go behind him."

"If he falls unconscious he _will_ let go of the ladder and, well, with all due respect ma'am, you aren't strong enough to catch him_ and_ stay attached to the ladder yourself." Seeing that the sergeant was right, she quickly clambered through the hatch and began climbing – ignoring the blood streaked walls and rungs. She did not stop – realising Colonel O'Neill probably didn't want too many people witnessing his feeble state and vulnerablility - until she reached halfway, at which point the stench had been dispelled slightly. She gripped the metal rungs and cautiously glanced down. Siler was concealed by the colonel's hunched form but she could see they had made surprisingly good progress – only fifty metres behind her.

~-~

"Colonel, come on, you gotta keep going, sir. We're almost halfway." Siler urged Col. O'Neill who had spluttered to a halt with each bout of hacking coughs. Jack's head slumped forward – Siler thought he had passed out and braced himself for the inevitable fall. It never came and, as he squinted up through the smothering darkness, he glimpsed the man's face: contorted in pain; his chest rising and falling paradoxically. His breathing had returned to its now familiar rasp. Jack had hooked his one good arm through a rung weakly, knowing full well it would be unlikely to hold his weight if he were to collapse. They rested on tenterhooks until strength had returned to his weakened legs and then, with no complaints either because Jack was trying to conserve energy or just out of breath, set off in silence once more – the silence broken sporadically as Siler offered his companion encouragement.


	9. Chapter 9

"Listen up people!" Hammond's authoritative voice boomed over the clamour of the Air Force personnel, regrouping after a quick excursion to nearby weapons lockers in the briefing room – some of the civilians were absorbing instructions on weapon usage from the experienced USAF soldiers. "We need to get to the surface however - given the vast numbers of Jaffa – we need tactics." He glanced to his right where SGs 2, 3 and 5 were gathering, "I suggest SGs 2, 3 and 5 take the ladders up top and cut off their exits. The rest of you will follow me up in the elevators." He turned to Walter, "The elevators _are_ working are they not?"

"I believe so, sir. We still have power after all."

"Everyone clear?"

A chorus of "Yes sir!" rang out.

"Radio check-ins every fifteen. Use your team designation if you have one." He finished Velcro-ing his bullet-proof vest and picked up the P-90 waiting innocently on the desk, "Let's go people, move out." He stood back from the door as his subordinates filed through the door to make their way to the surface.

_Captain Carter, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c were not amongst them. Perhaps they made it to the surface – the other possibilities aren't worth thinking about._

He strode from the room, his armour making him look more imposing than a five-star general to a solitary airman.

~-~

"Daniel! Grab what ammo you can!" Sam was desperate – she had a single magazine left between two P-90s and none left for her Berettas. "Ok Sam, I'm almost out too!" They were sprinting through the corridors being pursued relentlessly by Jaffa. SG-1 had the home advantage, however, and had soon lost their opponents in the network of corridors. Sam stole one last glance before sprinting out into blinding sunlight. All three of them squinted and stumbled as their eyes adjusted but carried on running in the direction of the SF hut. "What do we do now?" Daniel asked as he unloaded his collection of ammunition onto the nearest desk. Sam produced two handfuls of grenades and carefully lined them up next to the P-90 mags. "Well Daniel we're going to have to wait until reinforcements arrive or do it ourselves. Then again we're not part of an elite military team are we?" Teal'c cocked his head; "You are incorrect Captain Carter. Although O'Neill is a formidable warrior, we have survived many difficult situations without him."

"Thanks Teal'c."

"Yeah, thanks." Daniel muttered.

"Okay Teal'c, Daniel you stay down here and fire at any Jaffa that come through that tunnel, I'm going to be on the roof." Sam said, producing a claymore from somewhere on her person. "I'll set this up about ten yards from the door in case they get close."

Daniel looked to Teal'c, "Where on Earth did she get that from?" He asked incredulously.

"There's a secret locker where they keep explosives for use in extreme circumstances," Sam grinned, "I just _happened_ to be passing by so…."

"Just make sure it's not going to blow up in my face!"

"It's a shaped explosive, Daniel! So long as it faces the right way…" She pointed to the black writing embossed on the green metal – "This way towards enemy."

"That's comforting," Daniel grumbled as Sam stalked away to set the claymore, laughing.

Meanwhile, Teal'c and Daniel set about creating cover for themselves using upturned desks and heavy cupboards. Sam soon returned, looking serious once again, and, after she had collected plenty of spare magazines for the various weapons she had amassed, set about finding a comfortable position to lie in that gave not only a 360º view of the compound but also provided some protection from weapons' fire.

~-~

Twenty minutes later, almost five hours after the siege began, the first Jaffa exited the tunnel and advanced towards the main gate. When they were within range, the three members of SG-1 perched in the SF hut opened fire sending a hail of metal speeding towards the progressing Jaffa and rained a bloody and painful death upon them. The approaching Jaffa stood no chance at first even though they outnumbered the trio by fifteen to one and were cut down in large numbers. Sam used up two magazines against just the first wave; she knew her supply wouldn't last for long at that rate. Daniel had found that – under the severe pressure – he was actually quite an accurate shot, despite Jack's insistence that he should never consider a proper military career. Teal'c had no ammunition problems as he was using his staff weapon. However his fire rate was much lower than both of his companions and his accuracy left something to be desired: he switched to a more favourable P-90 for the next wave.

~-~

Hammond and his group of SGC personnel had gradually made their way to the surface although it took them a while due to the lack of elevators. The first ten to arrive at the surface guarded the corridor and ensured the others could exit the elevator safely. They were not engaged however – it appeared Apophis was so confident about their "imprisonment" that he had not thought to post sentries. When the entire group had arrived at the surface, they set off to find the goa'uld. However, General Hammond and his large group had needed no directions to find the battle; the ring of bullets against the metal armour of Jaffa and the "whoomp" of staff weapons sounded through the ominously empty corridors; and arrived at the rear of a huge gathering of them in the tunnel. They took advantage of their element of surprise and spread out before discharging their weapons. The closer half of the startled Jaffa turned and fired back with their own weapons while the other half escaped out into the pale sunlight of Colorado.

~-~

Outside SG-1 were being inundated with Jaffa and could no longer shoot all of them. At first, a few Jaffa slipped past the trio but now - being forced to share their, already limited, ammunitions between themselves and thus taking longer to reload – more and more Jaffa managed to avoid the swathes of bullets. A few of the Jaffa attempted to overrun SG-1's position but were promptly dealt with by the claymore. "Wow...Crap!" Daniel shouted over the noise of the explosion ringing in his ears before bursting out laughing – nervous rather than comical. There was no audible reply from either of his friends who were firing upon Jaffa with grim determination. Sam looked worriedly at her diminished supply of munitions and hoped they would get some back-up soon. She picked up her last magazine and began reloading. She didn't need to watch what she was doing – she had done the same action hundreds of times since joining the SGC – and took the opportunity to scout her next target. Behind one of the jeeps inside the compound a group of Jaffa were taking cover and avoiding attracting attention. Sam finished reloading and picked up a grenade. She pulled the pin out and threw the primed grenade as close as she could to the jeep, hoping it had a full tank. The explosion sent a fireball cartwheeling into the air and took out not only the Jaffa hiding but also several others roundabout. Daniel gave a small whoop of joy but the team's exhilaration was soon quelled by the sight of more Jaffa running towards them through the black smoke and flames.


	10. Chapter 10

The two snails were now within sight of the open top hatch where Dr. Frasier was hanging over the hole in space and shouting encouragement to the ailing O'Neill. The tunnel below the duo was blocked from sight by O'Neill's lanky frame and so she did not see the SG team closing in behind them, weapons poised. Siler heard the ominous click of a safety catch being switched off and froze: O'Neill, however, who could hear little over his painful laboured breathing and the buzzing in his ears – would have kept going if Siler had not tapped his leg. Jack resented the disruption, he had just managed to regulate his breathing and create a pattern of movement which was not quite so excruciatingly painful. "Name, rank and serial number!" The voice was unfriendly and undoubtedly military.

"Sergeant Siler." The serial number was entirely unnecessary – everyone knew the lab techs' favourite guinea pig. "Oh!" The voice was surprised and a powerful beam of light was shone in Siler's face to confirm it really was him, "Sergeant what are you doing up here and who's that?" The soldier asked, flicking his torch over O'Neill's pain wracked and bloody face. "Colonel O'Neill, and he is in need of some drastic medical help and you stalling our exit from the mountain is preventing it. So if you don't mind captain…"

"Look _sergeant_ I'm just following direct orders from General Hammond." The captain argued.

"Look, I'd rather be court-martialed than let Colonel O'Neill die and I'm pretty sure General Hammond feels the same way!" Siler swivelled back to look up at O'Neill who had somehow managed to cling like a monkey to the ladder. "Keep going colonel, we're good to go." Siler tapped the shaking man gently on the bottom of his boot and resumed his ascent, ignoring the grumblings of the captain below. They were quickly caught up by the captain and his team but rather than being reprimanded, Siler found a working radio tucked into his sturdy leather boots. "Thanks...Captain."

~-~

The heated conversation had drifted up to Frasier and she realised the huge respect most personnel in the SGC had for the second-in-command: personnel of all ranks and all ages. Some of it was professional respect for a commanding officer but the majority had been earned because of his dedication and "never leave a man behind" attitude. She squinted through the dark and could just see O'Neill's face twisted into pain and his gritted teeth. "Come on colonel! You're almost there."

She stood back from the rim of the hatch, quickly surveying the surrounding area to check it was secure, and let the pale sunlight filter through the opening and down upon the men as they emerged from the dark and into the Colorado sunlight.

_I don't remember the trees around here being so green...That's probably because I don't get out enough though._

As Colonel O'Neill reached the top rung, he extended his good arm to latch onto it, however all he could feel was empty space and he had to press against the ladder to prevent himself from falling. His ribs and arm screamed in pain as he ground out several expletives. Frasier spun back and immediately regretted her lapse of concentration. She grasped O'Neill's outstretched arm with a vice like grip and somehow managed to hold the weighty man up. Once the pain had subsided, his breathing settled back to its harsh rasping. "Colonel? Can you still hear me?" Frasier was leaning over the lip, extremely concerned. She maintained her grip on his arm until he stuck his head out of the hole. He immediately slammed his eyes shut and swayed before being steadied again by Frasier and Siler. "Leave them shut colonel, Sergeant Siler and I will help you out, don't worry." Jack felt Siler grip his ankles with both hands. At Janet's encouragement, Jack began climbing blindly and without hands up the last few rungs of the long ladder. Siler guided O'Neill's tired feet to the rungs before climbing patiently behind him. The other soldiers below them complained at first but, after it became clear that the pace would not – indeed _could _not – be quickened, soon quietened down and settled into the slow, stop-start climb.

As O'Neill stepped warily out of the hatch, Janet suggested he begin opening his eyes, slowly as to allow them to adjust gradually. He did as instructed and, after a rest just long enough for his unsteady and shallow breathing to return to its familiar rasping, eventually they managed to start walking through the forest in the vague direction of the entrance hut. After a hundred metres, O'Neill was struggling to breath, each shallow breath sending shooting pain through his damaged ribs. He was still held up by Siler but found it increasingly difficult to continue the slow, painful walking. After a further fifty metres, he suddenly slumped and, along with a surprised Siler, crumpled to the ground. As Frasier rushed to his side and immediately checked his pulse, Jack felt a fuzziness filling his head and blackness descended over his eyes. Janet was happy to see he was only falling asleep – tired from even the short exertion – but also concerned that the proud man would so easily lower his guard.

_That means he can't be in too much pain, if he can manage to fall asleep...I hope._

As she scrutinized his face however, now looking like someone had poured blood red paint over his head when in fact he had been sweating so much (despite his dehydration) that some of the blood had run off it with the salty sweat, Janet noticed that it was faintly creased. He was in pain, quite a lot actually. She left Siler to watch O'Neill for any signs of waking and went to join the hovering SG team that had followed them from the hatch. Their leader seemed impatient but had decided to wait prudently until Dr. Frasier had either asked for their help or they came under attack and were forced to move the colonel. There was a wordless exchange between the SG team and Frasier as, with the help of a withering, suggest-waking-my-patient-and-I'll-make-sure-you-need-physicals-for-the-next-six-months glare, the doctor efficiently told the team they were unneeded. They were to continue to the entrance without the exhausted trio. As the body of the team turned and began trudging down the pine-needle path, their leader turned to Siler and pointed to the radio strapped across his chest: "Channel 6, sergeant." He swivelled back around and ran to catch up with his men.


	11. Chapter 11

Once Frasier and Siler had managed to manoeuvre the sleeping colonel into a more horizontal position, they began two very different relaxation rituals. Siler crouched against a nearby tree and began to lovingly strip the assortment of weapons slung about his person – and put them equally carefully back together, repeatedly. Frasier inventoried and checked the small quantity of medicinal supplies she had managed to find in the weapons locker – a few plasters, fewer bandages and a couple of antiseptic wipes. She watched painfully as her more regular patient's chest rose and fell paradoxically and listened as his breaths became easier and less wheezy. She cast a cursory glance over his cut face and came to a decision – she was going to clean O'Neill up as best she could with what little she had.

~-~

"Unh...Oy...Leave me alone." Jack didn't _want_ to open his eyes but there was something annoying him and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and swat it like a fly. It was on his face – picking and prodding at the cuts he had collected over the few hours. Every time the _thing_ touched his face, it smeared a fabric across his wounds and left them stinging painfully. He still refused to open his eyes but instead brought up his uninjured hand – his other shoulder was aching. It met with soft hair.

_Frasier I hope!_

"Colonel, I'm sorry if the antiseptic hurts but I need to make sure these cuts don't get infected. Hold still, please colonel." Janet's voice failed to penetrate the mist that shrouded O'Neill; he grabbed her arm weakly and tried to stop her. "Siler could you give me a hand here? Hold his arms down," she instructed, "Gently! He's in enough pain already."

"Sorry doctor." The sergeant muttered as he shifted his grip so that it was more comfortable for O'Neill. She dabbed gently at another open cut with an antiseptic wipe. "Ah..." O'Neill complained as the chemicals stung his flesh. His whole face was burning from the alcohol that had seeped under his skin through the multitude of cuts criss-crossing his face. "I'm sorry colonel." Siler's grip slipped momentarily but that was all Jack needed to free his arm. As he made to scratch his face, Janet grabbed it. "No, colonel!" She ordered forcefully. Jack flinched and yanked his limb from Janet's, now limp, grip. The sudden movement jarred his ribs and his breath caught in his throat. He couldn't breathe; he coughed, and again. Soon the coughs had cascaded into a fit and every single one sent spasms of shooting pain through his body. Gradually blood speckled Jack's face. He still struggled to breathe and his mind had begun to panic.

_Crap. I'm in Antarctica again._

In his delirium he thrashed and twisted, desperately trying to avoid the goa'uld that were attempting to hold his flailing limbs to the ground. The renewed pain of Jack's shoulder and ribs pierced his confusion, as an unsettling cry of pain was emitted. It echoed through the trees as Frasier and Siler frantically tried to pin the struggling colonel to the ground. Finally, after many attempts, they succeeded and gradually the hacking coughs subsided, Jack's face was a mess – blood not only splattered it but also ran in a rivulet down his cheek. His eyelids were glued shut but his face was no longer contorted in pain – he was unconscious. It was silent for a while as they relaxed, sound of the distant gunfight drifted to them – an indication of their distance from the entrance to Cheyenne Mountain.

As she pressed the last plaster firmly over a cut that lined Jack's face, Janet broke the silence that had blanketed them, "We need to get him to a hospital, and soon, or at least to where they're fighting - my nurses should have picked up some supplies along the way, if they've escaped. Do you think, between us, we could carry him?"

"We'll manage doctor. We should get moving now," he suggested, glancing at his watch, "I don't need a rest anyway, do you?"

"No I'm good. Colonel O'Neill will wake up soon anyway so we may as well move him now." Wordlessly, they hauled an unconscious Jack from the forest floor and slung him between their shoulders. A slight groan escaped O'Neill and his eyelids fluttered but he remained unconscious as they started on their way through the treacherous trees. The limp frame between them whimpered several times more during the journey and each time, Siler turned to Janet he noticed her facial expression becoming grimmer and grimmer. She was regretting making the decision to carry on whilst Colonel O'Neill was in his present state.

Eventually they reached the edge of the trees, where the fence surrounded the compound. Frasier and Siler stared aghast at the battle that was unfolding within the fence. The Jaffa seemed to be surrounded and in the centre a golden figure was visible. Each bullet that was fired in his direction bounced off an invisible shield that flickered yellow with each impact. They could see the multiple muzzle flashes that erupted from the tunnel mouth as well as several from around the solitary security hut. Janet could have sworn she saw Sam on the roof of it, her blond hair reflecting the sunlight.

~-~

"Daniel! I'm almost out of ammo!" Sam screamed down to Daniel who was currently occupied with several Jaffa of his own. Their position had almost been overrun by the enemy. They had only avoided that particularly sticky situation with the help from some newcomers. They had arrived silently and, after being acknowledged by Sam, Teal'c and Daniel, rapidly set about defending their solitary position. Sam glanced momentarily to her right at the captain: the man she couldn't quite put a name to (although she was sure he led his own SG team). He was also lying prone on the gravel roof and spraying any advancing Jaffa with red hot metal. "HOW DID YOU GET OUT?!" Sam yelled at the officer, even though they were only a couple of metres apart, to make herself heard over the repetitive firing of bullets. "WE HAD ORDERS FROM GENERAL HAMMOND, WE FOUND AN ESCAPE HATCH AND CLIMBED OUR WAY OUT." He neatly forgot to mention their encounter with O'Neill or his current condition, "WE CAUGHT UP WITH SILER AND..." He paused as he plucked a grenade from a nearby pile, pulled the pin and lobbed it unceremoniously towards the nearest and largest group of Jaffa, "...DOC FRASIER ON THE WAY UP. I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO COME HERE TOO..." He paused again to duck away from a staff blast heading in their direction, "...I GAVE SILER A RADIO." Sam glanced at the man,

"DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER RADIO?" He nodded and threw the shock-resistant radio over to his fellow captain, "CHANNEL 6."

_I wonder if Janet has any news about the colonel. We haven't heard from him since learning he was captured by Apophis from Teal'c._

She hunkered behind a wall of sandbags which she had erected to give her some protection. "Janet? Doctor Frasier do you copy? Sergeant Siler? Come in! Over." She released the "speak" button that she had firmly depressed. There was a hiss of static.


	12. Chapter 12

_&_& Author's notes - Unfortunately I am still snowed under with school work but it's the last week of term (YAY :D) and then the Christmas holidays when i should be able to write more - although I then have to suffer through a month and a half of tests, NABs and prelims :( . Only got a few more chapters to write before you find out the SGC and the world's fate at the hands of Apophis. Also I should have mentioned this earlier but if there is Goa'uld you don't know, just tell me and i can post the links for where I got it from on my profile or something. &_&_

_

* * *

  
_

"*hiss*...net? Doctor...*hiss*...sier do you copy? ...*hiss*...geant Siler? Come in! Ov...*hiss*"

"It's Sa...Captain Carter." Janet explained, quickly correcting herself, to Siler who seemed not to recognize her voice, granted there was a large quantity of static in the message. Siler and Frasier carefully guided their dependent to a tree and slid him to the forest floor. Jack's cracked lips elicited a small grunt as sharp pain burst through his shoulders, the joints rotating into a more relaxed position. Once his hands were free, Siler grabbed the radio and spoke into it. "We copy. Over"

"Sergeant...*hiss*...ler, this is Ca...*hiss*...rter!" Siler adjusted the radio's various dials in order to get a better signal, until the captain's agitated voice could be heard clearly. "Where are you?"

Jack grunted again as he regained consciousness, recognizing his second-in-command's voice as it crackled over the radio. "Carter?" Janet immediately bent down and reassured the injured man as his eyes cracked open for the first time since they moved from the hatch. "Carter?" He whispered again, not realising that she was not standing next to him – his eyes were covered in a hazy mist. "Colonel, can you hear me?"

"Doc? Where's Carter?" He asked croakily, his damaged ribs protesting at each sharp intake of breath.

"It's the radio, sir."

"Ahh..." He closed his eyes again. Even holding the short conversation had given him a pounding headache which, added to his other complaints, made him feel extremely nauseous. He tilted his head back against the rough tree trunk and took as deep a breath as his injuries would allow. "Colonel, how are you feeling?"

"...Peachy..." Jack replied quietly, his voice layered with sarcasm. Janet scowled at the man's response and was about insist on checking his injuries when the ground shook with an explosion. She felt the shockwave as it passed over the three of them and wheeled round. Twenty metres from the fence, one of the jeeps had exploded, sending twisted and melted shards of military green steel hurtling through the air in all directions. Several Jaffa had been stood close to the vehicle taking shelter from the combined firepower of the SGC personnel – they had disappeared, vaporised by the sheer intensity of the heat of the explosion. Siler, who had continued the radio conversation with Carter, let out a low whistle before returning to his exchange.

~-~

Sam lifted herself up off the roof just enough to see into the trees on her left – Siler had given her their position over the radio. She scanned the tree-line but there was no sign of either Janet or Sergeant Siler, although that didn't necessarily mean they weren't there. "Siler and Frasier are in the trees at 9 o'clock just outside the fence. Tell your men to watch their fire." She explained to her rooftop companion before she hunkered back down and restarted the ritual firing and reloading of her weapon. Despite being joined by more soldiers, Sam was less confident in their ability to fight the still advancing Jaffa – their already limited ammo was spread even thinner. She glanced at the dwindling pile of grenades and non-existent magazines and her hope that their position at the security checkpoint would not be overrun diminished. She looked towards the tunnel entrance and was slightly heartened to see so many USAF employees fighting to retain their base, but she would feel more comforted to know what had become of Colonel O'Neill.

~-~

"Colonel! We need to get moving. Come on!" Janet gently shook O'Neill's shoulders to encourage him to wake from his slumber, but to no avail, "Come on colonel, _wake_ up!" She shook his shoulders again, more violently this time. He groaned in response and opened his eyes gradually. She and Siler managed to lift him from the damp ground and the sergeant took O'Neill's full body weight on his shoulders. Despite his complaints, they moved towards a flap in the fence – there was no other option anyway, he was unable to walk – that Siler had cut while O'Neill was asleep. Janet held it open as wide as she could to allow O'Neill and Siler through, before following them herself. They sheltered behind one of the few remaining relatively undamaged vehicles inside the compound. O'Neill had managed to cling on to consciousness and as he regained his bearings, he took in the scene playing out before them. The Jaffa were spread throughout the enclosed area - to one side stood the golden-clad figure of Apophis, surrounded by a dozen of his most loyal Jaffa. Jack winced as he recognised the inflictor of much of his pain –At'lek – in the protection group. After a two minute break, they set off again towards the security checkpoint, towards the rest of O'Neill's team, Siler and O'Neill dodging staff blasts clumsily on the way.

~-~

Sam looked over in the direction from which she thought Janet and Siler were coming. Her heart skipped a beat and she had to shake her head to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. There seemed to be a man with something brown streaking his face and covering his exposed chest – she couldn't decide whether it was blood or dirt, or a combination of the two - being supported by Sergeant Siler and hobbling along weakly next to Dr. Frasier. As the sun came out from hiding behind the clouds, Sam gasped in horror at the extent of this man's injuries were revealed – it _was_ blood and there was something familiar in this blood-soaked man.

_It can't be Colonel O'Neill...Can it?_

Sam squinted to make out any distinguishing features hidden below layers of dust and dried, crusty blood. She realised that she had run out of bullets for her P90, again, and, knowing there was only one magazine left between the pair on the roof, decided to scamper down to the ground level. She grabbed as many grenades as she could carry and stuffed them in her pockets before clambering down the ladder at the rear of the building. "DANIEL!" She shouted but he either failed to hear her or was concentrating so hard on aiming accurately that he could not reply, "DANIEL! JANET'S HERE WITH SILER!" Again he did not respond but Sam had already made her decision. She sprinted from the relative safety of the sturdy building, not caring about the staff blasts that singed the air just inches from her body.

"Janet!" She yelled as she greeted them she nodded to the sergeant supporting the third member of the party, "Siler."

"Sam, we need to get to shelter...quickly!" Janet replied, desperation clearly audible in her strained voice. Sam inspected Siler's charge.

_Oh crap! It is him._

"Colonel...?" Jack's head was bowed and he barely had the strength to lift it from his chest, "...Carter..." His breath caught as he replied and turned into another spasm of coughs as he frantically fought to catch his breath. Sam rushed to his right side and pressed her arm across O'Neill's chest to prevent him from collapsing and dragging Siler down with him. As the pressure of his second-in-command's limb wrapped around his beaten torso added itself to the pre-existing pain, he managed to cry out, "Carter...let go! ...Please." He whispered the last word, his throat hoarse from the coughs and harsh breathing. "Sir?" Sam asked questioningly but Janet stepped in and, after making sure Siler could once again support O'Neill, pulled Sam away from her commanding officer. "Sam, he's picked up several fractured ribs during the course of today, along with many other injuries," she explained to a worried Captain Carter. "What?!...How?"

"Apophis." Janet muttered, signalling an end to that particular area of discussion – at least in present company. Siler had continued to practically drag the nearly unconscious O'Neill towards the security hut, Frasier and Sam ran to catch up with them.

Now that her attention was not solely on killing Jaffa, Sam took the time to glance round the compound. The Jaffa had gathered in a circle near the tunnel entrance and been encircled by SGC personnel. Apophis still stood in the centre, shield raised, hand device ready to repel anybody stupid enough just to walk up to him. Her colleagues were spread thinly around the complex, many of the others having been injured or worse, killed. Sam looked around her and was startled to see several heavily-armed soldiers guarding the gate in the fence about fifty metres from the security hut.

They reached the solitary building quickly and instant Siler laid O'Neill on the ground. His eyes were closed and his breathing eerily quiet. As Janet felt for a pulse, Sam rushed around the small room, looking for a first aid kit. Eventually she found one hidden in a cupboard Teal'c and Daniel had upturned to provide protection and threw it to Siler who passed it on to Dr. Frasier. Daniel finally noticed the commotion that was going on only feet away from him and turned to find Sam. "What's going on Sam?"

"Janet and Siler just arrived..." she answered nervously, not wanting to be the one who told Daniel of her CO's condition. "What...What about Ja...Colonel O'Neill? Was he with them?" He asked, sensing Sam's reluctance to elaborate. He had to strain to hear his friend's next words but when he did, it hit him like a wrecking ball, "Daniel, Col...Jac... He's..." she glanced to check that O'Neill had not expired while she was talking to Daniel, "He's been badly injured. I don't know how but it had something to do with Apophis. Janet's doing all she can but his injuries..." She squeaked as she felt tears flood her eyes and turned away. When she turned back to face Daniel, she found he was kneeling at Jack's side.

~-~

Teal'c, who had been so absorbed in their defence, swivelled round and found Captain Carter snivelling, Daniel Jackson kneeling next to someone who was lying on the floor and Sergeant Siler having swapped with Daniel and firing towards the Jaffa, even though he was also down to his last clip. As Dr. Frasier shooed Daniel from the area around the person on the floor, the man's face became visible.

_O'Neill! What has that mikta false god Apophis done to you?_

_

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_&_& Don't forget to R&R people please. (The more reviews i get the faster I write, I've noticed xD) &_&  
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	13. Chapter 13

The first thing Jack knew as he regained consciousness slowly, remembering his Special Ops training to let it return slowly and take in the surroundings, was a very repetitive and dull "whoomp".

_Don't they know how annoying that is? If they wanted to torture me, why not do it the conventional way?_

Jack's eyes fluttered as he mentally laughed at his own completely uncharacteristic thought. Gradually he became aware of other quieter sounds surrounding him, unfortunately, as he became more lucid, the pain from each one of his injuries clamoured for his attention all at once.

_For cryin' out loud!_

He groaned, his stinging right arm demanding the most attention. He tried to withdraw his arm from whatever was causing the discomfort but found it caused more pain than it relieved.

"Colonel, can you hear me?"

"Sir?"

"Jack?"

_They sound worried, I can't look _that _bad!_

"Sam can you get me something to support his head? Daniel, don't just stand there like a lost child, come and keep him calm, while I go and try to find a needle and anything that will disinfect it. I'm going to need to stitch the cut over the colonel's eye – if it gets infected, he could lose his sight." Daniel grimaced in sympathy for his friend, but knelt down and whispered assurances to Jack. Sam brought back a BDU jacket she had found hanging on a chair, folded it and carefully slid it under her CO's head as Daniel held it raised off the floor. "Where'd Frasier go?" Sam asked a preoccupied Daniel.

"She went to find a needle and some disinfectant." He replied quietly as if he did not want O'Neill to overhear, "She doesn't want that cut to get infected, she said if it did, he...he could...lose his sight." Nearing the end of his explanation, Daniel's voice lowered so much that Sam had to lean ever closer to him just to hear his hesitant words. It did not matter anyway – Jack's senses were dulled by the constant pain.

"Is he awake?" Sam asked Daniel, as Jack's eyelids fluttered again. She started when O'Neill answered her question. "Carter...? Where's Daniel...Teal'c?" His voice was so croaky; Sam could not believe it was really _her_ Colonel O'Neill speaking.

"Hey Jack. It's Daniel; we're here, Teal'c's here too."

"Oh...so that's what I can hear." Jack croaked as he glanced around the room from his prone position. He looked up into Sam's blue eyes and was shocked to see fear, well guarded fear but fear nonetheless. "Carter...Help me up."

"Sir...I don't think that's a good idea."

"That's what you said last time." Jack joked. Sam and Daniel laughed before surrendering to his demand and hauled him from the floor. As they straightened up and waited for Jack to gain his balance, Daniel looked out the windows. "Erm...Sam?"

"What Daniel?"

"Are there supposed to be Jaffa surrounding us?"

"Crap!" Jack muttered; Daniel was correct and they now had around twenty staff weapons trained on them. Teal'c, Siler and the others had already surrendered their weapons and come to stand around the trio. "Colonel O'Neill, it is indeed good to see you in better condition than when I last saw you." Teal'c intoned to O'Neill as their eyes met. Jack merely grunted softly in reply.

As the Jaffa rounded them up, Sam became aware that someone was missing.

_Janet...where's Janet? She only went to find medical supplies. This hut's not very big, so where is she?_

"Daniel have you seen Janet?" She whispered, wary of giving Apophis' Jaffa reason to harm anyone in the group, especially Colonel O'Neill. "Oh...no I haven't, have you?" He replied in an equally hushed tone, also acutely aware of the danger just inches away. At that moment, At'lek – Apophis' First Prime – barked an order at the other Jaffa and the group of soldiers. "Kree! Chula!" – "Come" Daniel translated; Teal'c bowed his head in agreement. Sam turned to the colonel, "Can you walk sir?" Jack responded with a whimper of pain as he tested his weight and then a single resigned and indiscernible nod. Daniel, who had swapped places with Teal'c, refused to move and was promptly shoved forwards and would have landed face flat on the concrete floor had Siler not caught his arm. No-one else resisted the Jaffa. With each awkward step, fresh pain shot through Jack's ribs. He had taken no more than ten supported steps when unconsciousness shrouded him in darkness and his mind became free to wander both the painful memories of Charlie's death and the more pleasant memories of his time on Abydos with Daniel and Skaara. Teal'c and Sam did not falter and grudgingly dragged their colonel towards Apophis.

~-~

Janet had hidden in a floor-to-ceiling cupboard, justifying her cowardly action by convincing herself that she could be of more use alive than dead. Now, after hearing the barked order from At'lek, she cracked open the door and peeked out. The coast was clear so she cautiously crawled out of her hiding place like a wary cat. She hated herself for the cowardice she had shown but now was not the time for self-loathing. She gathered the supplies she had managed to acquire, before stalking into the main room. She froze and watched open-mouthed as her friends and colleagues were marched across the tarmac towards Apophis. She scanned the room, instinctively, knowing neither what she was trying to find nor what she would do when she found that "something".

_A weapon, I need a weapon!_

~-~

SG-1 had been brought before Apophis before; this time was no different. Insults were exchanged, threats ignored and orders disregarded. "Shol'va!" Apophis accused.

"False god Apophis!" Teal'c replied scathingly. They had not yet been ordered to kneel but knew it would soon come. Sam was encouraging O'Neill to wake up and gradually his eyes blinked open, "Sir, we're probably going to have to kneel soon, what do you want us to do?" She asked him softly.

"Just..." His speech was slow and slurred, "Just do as they say, Captain."

"Kree tal lok!" Apophis yelled at the prisoners, knowing most would not understand. He nodded to his Jaffa who struck the backs of the knees of all but three of the humans standing before him. Apophis pointed to O'Neill and spoke to two of his warriors, "Rel'tac!" They strode purposefully up to Teal'c and Sam and attempted to prise Jack from their hold. At the same time, those guarding the kneelers lifted their staffs and pointed them at their heads. Teal'c and Sam fought as one to protect their friend but were ultimately defeated. Sam was zatted and dragged over to lie in a heap next to Daniel. Teal'c was restrained by three more Jaffa. It was only then that Daniel registered the lack of gunfire or explosions.

_I guess Hammond would prefer to avoid friendly fire or losing so many his best people._

Daniel stared at Jack, taking in his slow, rasping breathing and the fresh blood streaming from cuts on his cheeks as he was hauled to his feet carelessly by At'lek and another Jaffa.


	14. Chapter 14

There were empty guns scattered around but with no ammo to load them with Janet had had to make do with a knife. She was about to scout the perimeter to make sure her escape could be easily implemented, when she looked through the space that should have been occupied by thick glass and saw the captured group being forced to kneel. There was a short commotion in which Captain Carter was zatted and Teal'c restrained effortlessly by Jaffa. Janet gasped in horror at the ruthless efficiency of them before she noticed Colonel O'Neill being supported by Jaffa. He had been dragged forward to stand in front of Apophis – even from this distance, she could see his struggles to stand and maintain a rhythm to his breathing. Apophis looked to be arguing with someone.

_Daniel, no doubt, Sam would too if she wasn't unconscious – they'd do anything for Colonel O'Neill._

Apophis won the especially one-sided argument and raised his right hand, palm up to O'Neill. Suddenly, Janet realised what she was witnessing – the shiny, metallic object snaking over the Goa'uld's hand was a hand device – Apophis was going to read O'Neill's mind.

_And then kill him!_

~-~

"Come on, Apophis. Most of your Jaffa have been killed or injured. You are surrounded. Let us go and then leave Earth!" Daniel bargained with Apophis, as the goa'uld rolled his gold silk sleeve up to reveal a hand device. Apophis looked from O'Neill to Daniel and back. His eyes settled menacingly on Jack's weakened form. "NO! You'll kill him!" Sam shouted hoarsely, having been awakened by the exclamations.

"I am your god; you will_ all _pay for resisting me!" Apophis spat angrily. Apophis nodded to the Jaffa towering above the soldiers. They heard the sound of zats and staff weapons being readied to fire. He turned back to Sam, "And yes, you are indeed correct, after I have learned all I wish to know, I will take _great_ pleasure in killing the _GREAT_ C-o-l-o-n-e-l J-a-c-k O-'N-e-i-l-l! Of that I assure you, Captain Carter." He nodded once more and the air was scorched by staff blasts, tingled from double zat fire and, sickeningly, reeked of burning flesh. Sam, Teal'c, Daniel and Siler had all been ignored but the same could not be said of their colleagues – they lay crumpled on the ground; motionless and smoking. Sam forced herself to tear her eyes from the sight. Daniel's stomach threatened vomiting; however he was reduced to dry retching. Siler and Teal'c were silent but both clearly repulsed by Apophis' action. At'lek grabbed a handful of O'Neill's hair and forced Jack to turn towards his fallen insubordinates, despite the excruciating reminders it brought of all the damaged bones in Jack's body.

"Bite me you snakehead son of a BITCH!" Jack hissed through gritted teeth as loudly as he could. With that comment, Apophis leant in close to Jack's ear, "Any last words colonel?" Before Jack could reply, the Goa'uld stepped back and lifted his hand. The central crystal glowed, O'Neill somehow managed to lift his head and stare defiantly at Apophis. A glowing beam snaked through the air and into Jack's forehead. He screamed, incomprehensibly, once. "Please Apophis!" Sam begged weakly as her commanding officer slammed his eyes shut for what he believed would be the last time.

_Ah crap! SAAAAAAAAAM!_

Jack gritted his teeth against the pain and focused on resisting the onslaught of pain. It was futile and Jack was certain he would not survive this time. He felt Apophis searching through every single one of his thoughts and memories – Jack had many he did not wish to share with even his closest friend but now they were his advantage – the more Apophis had to go through, the longer it would take for him to find what he wanted.

_:Stop resisting me or I _will_ make this more painful!_

Jack mentally started – his body was paralysed by the hand device. Apophis had spoken to him..._in his mind!_

_There is nothing more you can do to me – I'm already dead. I hope Sam and Daniel get to kill your sorry ass!_

_:In that case, O'Neill, I will harm those you love the most._

Apophis flicked through Jack's memories like leafing through pages in a book until he found the right one.

_*"Sam."_

"_Colonel?"_

"_First command."_

_Sam nods._

"_Cool."_

_She smiles sweetly. "I'll do my best, sir."_

"_I know, Captain."_

_She smiles again, "Thanks sir."*_

Jack refused to buckle to Apophis' mind games but the pain increased relentlessly – he wouldn't be able to delay much longer. Even in his mind's eye, a black fuzziness had begun to appear at the edges.

~-~

Janet made a perfunctory check of the perimeter, not willing to be shot in the back by a Jaffa as she made a run for it. She was relying very heavily on luck and Apophis' belief in his most loyal Jaffa – too heavily for her liking but there was nothing more she could do. General Hammond had ceased fire on the pack of aliens, when those under his command had become potential victims of friendly fire. The group that stood at his side, as Jaffa and Tau'ri stared down one another – daring them to make a mistake, had not stopped advancing – the closing gap between them allowing for ever more accurate shots. They would, however, not reach the interior of the circle before Colonel O'Neill had been killed and his well-trained team wasted.

_It's up to me I guess, then._

Janet shook the indecision from her head and ran, knife in hand. She sprinted fast, faster than she ever thought possible for someone who saw such infrequent, sustained exercise. Her mind was clear of all but her task and how she would carry said task out.

_I should have planned more carefully._

When Janet found her own thoughts reproaching her mockingly, she realised they had strayed from the present situation. She was still sprinting towards Apophis and not one of the Jaffa appeared to have noticed. She felt a prickling of glee and satisfaction at this, but as she grew nearer to her target, it seemed less likely that her strategy would succeed.

It was not, however, until she was less than five metres from that golden beacon of a target that the Jaffa noticed her – they had been so absorbed in the silent and merciless torture of O'Neill by their God that most of them had failed to notice the short, angry woman steamrolling towards them. They perceived her as no threat, simply an annoyance that would have to be dealt with. This misperception was their mistake. Janet exploited it to the fullest extent possible. She dodged and weaved her way agilely through the restless crowd of warriors, deftly avoiding all outstretched hands – her height was the main advantage. Suddenly, she came to a clearing in which Apophis stood, his hand device still connecting O'Neill's mind to his. Sam, Daniel, Siler and Teal'c were there too. The next thing Janet took in was the men lying face down on the tarmac, clearly dead. Her anger seethed within her. She could not wait until she reaped revenge on Apophis for the murder of so many of her charges. Janet's anger frightened herself but there was no overriding the feelings that arose in her. She strode purposefully up to Apophis – he was unaware of her, his mind so absorbed in O'Neill's – and, without hesitation, thrust the blade she was carrying deep into the back of the hated Goa'uld's neck.

_That should sever a few things._

She felt the impact of a staff blast on her back and the burning sensation of her flesh as it melded with white lab coat fabric.

_Ah...this could be a problem!_

She was out before she hit the ground.

~-~

The instant the blade had pierced his host's skin, Apophis had lost his grip on Colonel O'Neill's mind and it skittered away from him like a pebble down a shingle bank. Jack collapsed, unmoving, to the ground and lay there silently. He wasn't breathing.

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&_& :O "OH NOOOO!" xD Who knew i could be so mean. xD

Almost finished :D


	15. Chapter 15

"We stand here today to remember those who lost their lives or were seriously injured whilst defending this facility, this nation and this planet from the Goa'uld and to thank them for their service and courage:

Vern Alberts.

Lieutenant Astor.

Major Benton.

Major Coburn.

Doctor Frasier.

Major Graham.

Lieutenant Grogan.

Captain Blasdale.

Sergeant Lewis.

Colonel O'Neill.

Lieutenant Morrison."

General Hammond stood on the ramp, behind a large wooden lectern – the United States Air Force insignia emblazoned on the front, leading up to the Stargate. Captain Carter was standing at the bottom of the ramp, between Daniel and Teal'c, facing the ranks of soldiers and civilians who worked at Stargate Command. As Hammond ended his speech, the bugler began to slowly play "Taps".

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all excused themselves and exited the 'gate room as swiftly as they politely could at the end of the service – they did not want to be interrogated as to Dr. Frasier's condition nor the colonel's. They walked to the infirmary together in silence. Daniel stuck his head round the door and peered into the semi-darkness Janet had imposed on her shared room and its other occupant. "Hey, Janet. How're you doing?" Daniel asked, seeing she was awake and observing the rhythm and rate of her neighbour's heart monitor. "Shhhhh," she whispered firmly as Sam and Teal'c's heads poked into the room, "he's sleeping."

"Can we come in?" Sam asked quietly, nervous of waking the sleeping giant in the next bed – even if she was a good friend of his and would have quite liked to discuss recent events with the man. Janet beckoned the three of them into the small room and, after gingerly walking around awkwardly placed furniture, they were able to whisper to Janet. Sam took up a place in a comfortable armchair between Janet and the other occupant; Teal'c stood silent and motionless at the foot of the bed; Daniel stood on Janet's other side, wringing his hands nervously. "So...How are you Janet?" Sam repeated.

"I'm fine Sam, really. My back's a bit sore and stiff but that's to be expected."

"You almost single-handedly killed Apophis while also saving Colonel O'Neill's life: I think you can relax." Daniel chuckled. Sam barely smothered a laugh; Teal'c, predictably, raised one eyebrow. "Thank you Daniel." Janet smiled back at Daniel who was also grinning broadly. Sam gestured to the other occupant of the room, "How long's he been out for Janet?"

Dr. Frasier smiled wryly, "Why do you think I know?"

"Because a) just before we came in you were watching his monitor intensely and looking at the drugs he's on-"

Sam interrupted Daniel, "And b) you're a doctor – you _never_ sleep." Daniel tried to stop a giggle escaping his lips but ended up snorting loudly and then went into fits of coughing. Janet glared at him until he got the message to "go outside and die quietly" from Sam. Teal'c again raised an eyebrow at this and followed Daniel to ensure that he did not actually die.

When the room was quiet – only Daniel's coughing drifted softly through the closed door, it was immediately apparent to Janet that her sleeping companion was now awake. "Colonel? Can you hear me?"

"Doc." Jack croaked.

"That's right."

"Where's Apophis?"

_If he's not dead – or dying – I don't want to know what happened to Sam, Daniel and Teal'c._

"We think they went back to wherever they came from. They're not here anymore – that's for sure."

"'K. Sa- Carter? Teal'c? Daniel?"

"Afternoon sleepy head...sir." Sam said cheekily, grinning from ear to ear, "We're all fine colonel...Well...actually Daniel is choking with laughter out in the corridor and Teal'c's with him." Sam added. She leaned closer to Jack and whispered, "He's probably performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on Daniel right now." Jack smiled faintly at her comment – his ribs unwilling to allow any sort of strenuous breathing just yet. He was about to ask where he was – he was cold, having only the lower half of his body covered by a thin sheet to allow easy access to his chest if he needed defibrillating or a chest drain - when it occurred to him that there was an incessantly, annoying beeping sound in the room and the uncomfortable feeling of a catheter.

_Oh boy! This is definitely the infirmary._

"What happened to Apophis?" He asked.

"Janet stabbed him in the neck and the Jaffa took off. They went back through the gate and took Apophis with them."

"Unfortunately, I took a staff blast in the back but it was enough for him to release his hold on you Colonel O'Neill." Janet explained.

"You...? I mean..." Jack stuttered – his mouth was as dry as a desert. Sam reached over and fed him an ice-cube. "...Thanks...Janet." He managed after melting the ice. Both Sam and Janet were shocked by O'Neill's response. "Are you _sure _you're alright sir?" The minutes of silence which followed Sam's comment allowed Jack to catalogue his injuries. Sam watched her commanding officer as he contemplated. She had found herself doing this more and more often, recently – they shared a tent off-world and SG-1 held a bedside vigil every time one of them was in the infirmary for serious reasons. She enjoyed it – it was relaxing.

_Head-to-foot what've I got myself in to now? Concussion again, a broken nose._

Jack shifted slightly in the bed – he was lying almost flat with only one pillow under his head – and winced as dull pain drifted in to his drug-addled brain, glad of the dimmed light to cover his reaction.

_Crap, that shoulder's definitely been dislocated – at least once tod---_

"How long was I out Captain?" Jack asked suddenly, breaking from his analysis.

"Erm...Janet?"

"Well I woke up two days ago. I had surgery on my back to remove some of the fabric melted in to it a few days before that – to prevent it getting infected and causing possible paralysis, apparently. The day before that, they were stabilising us. It must be about a week then colonel."

"Oh." Jack fell silent again and closed his eyes, intending to continue assessing his injuries but was immediately asleep. Sam was shocked by her friend's bluntness about her injuries but then she _was _a doctor. She watched Jack's awkward breathing and inwardly cringed each time it caught - his chest bandaged as it was. Daniel reappeared at the door, his cheeks still reddened, "Teal'c went to the commissary to get something to eat." Seeing Jack was unconscious again, he glanced to Janet, "Shall I call the doctor?"

"No Daniel, it's alright. He'll be like this for a while. Anyway, I can get the doctor from here." Janet chuckled, raising the call button to illustrate her point.

Jack woke up slowly, taking in his surroundings. Jack raised his head off the pillow slightly to get a better look at his injuries; his right arm was in a thick white cast half way up his upper arm and hoisted above his chest to stop it lying on his ribs; there was a white protrusion from the end of the cast where his fingers should have been; at his knees, there was a bump in the sheet covering his legs.

_Hmm broken fingers. Crap. Must've twisted it. Jeez I'm gonna need a whole lot of physio._

Jack sighed loudly. His breathing hitched when there was a rustling sound from the next cubicle and the curtain was yanked open. "Well colonel, how are we today?" The doctor on shift asked as he swept up to Jack's bed and seized his wrist roughly. If he had not felt so exhausted and fuzzy from the drugs (and been able to sit up) Jack would have punched the rude man squarely on the nose. Instead he was forced to endure the doctor's unpleasant, and sometimes painful, examination and endless questioning.

_Where's ol' Doc Frasier?_

Jack used his peripheral vision to scour the room – not trusting this other doctor not to stick him with needles the moment he turned away – and found Janet sleeping peacefully on her side in the next bed. Jack cursed himself – how could he forget that this woman, who had done so much for him recently, had fatally wounded Apophis and taken a staff blast just to save his life.

Eventually the grumpy doctor had finished poking, prodding and pissing Col. O'Neill off and left him alone with only slightly upped morphine and the head of the bed raised a few inches. "Napoleonic power monger." Jack grumbled as loudly as he could after the doctor. "Glad to hear you've got your sense of humour back colonel." Janet smirked. Jack shifted to face her more easily,

"Thanks Janet."

"You're welcome colonel. Glad to hear I'm not the only "Napoleonic power monger" around!"

"Yeah..." Jack's eyelids drooped and suddenly he could no longer stay awake. He drifted into an uneventful sleep.

"So when shall we tell him?"

"Tell me what Daniel?" Jack asked innocently, despite having listened to the entire conversation while feigning sleep. "Daniel Jackson wishes to know when we shall tell you what ensued while you were under Apophis' mind control and what occurred after your ensuing unconsciousness." Teal'c explained. The room's occupants took it in turns to relate their part of the story; General Hammond first; then Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and Sergeant Siler – he was being treated for _another_ injury from some task or experiment.

~£$%^%$£~

The damage to Apophis' host was almost certainly fatal and, without a sarcophagus to heal, the damage to the symbiote was equally so. The Jaffa knew this. They ignored their captives and the advancing group of SGC personnel lead by Hammond. They fled into the tunnel, taking the big general by surprise, towards the Stargate. General Hammond waved the soldiers to follow them, before rushing to SG-1. The nurses that had been in the group with the base commander hurried along behind him to the pocket of USAF employees who either lay or kneeled on the tarmac, still too shocked by Janet's kamikaze attack to move or even speak.

"Captain Carter? Are you alright?" General Hammond asked. Sam was staring at Janet's smouldering back. Hammond gently lifted her to her feet, "Captain?" At the sound of her name, Sam jolted. She was instantly beside Colonel O'Neill. His hair was sleeked with sweat and blood which ran down onto his face. Jack's eyes were shut and there was no motion in his chest, as Sam groped for a pulse in his neck. "Oh God, colonel, please, wake up!" Sam felt tears forming in her eyes but forced herself to focus – there was no pulse, no faint, irregular pulse. Nothing.

_Please, Jack! Come on! Apophis is gone!_

Her brain finally kicked into gear, as Teal'c joined her by Colonel O'Neill's side. "Captain Carter, how may I assist?" The concern was apparent in the, usually impassive, rebel Jaffa's voice.

"Erm...He's not breathing Teal'c." She waved a hand absentmindedly towards the cuts criss-crossing Jack's body. "He looks to be losing a lot of blood. Put pressure on the wounds, while I start CPR." She instructed, her Air Force training kicking in. Teal'c merely nodded grimly in concurrence; duly pressing his large hands over the most severe of O'Neill's bleeding injuries. Sam cautiously placed her hands on Colonel O'Neill's chest, not knowing quite why she took so much care when O'Neill was dead, technically.

_I hope this doesn't break any ribs._

She realised how completely irrelevant that thought was, when she glanced the unusual lumps raised on Jack's torso – he had already broken several of them. Sam took a deep breath, reminded herself of her task and then started.

With each compression, Sam hissed out the number she was on.

"Fourteen...Fifteen."

She took another breath, pinched Jack's nose close (quite difficult to do with it being so badly broken), tilted his head back gently and checked there was nothing obstructing the airway. She leant down and breathed for Jack, twice, not caring that his blood was being transferred to her.

_This is certainly not something I envisaged when I signed up._

Sam sat back on her heels and felt for a pulse again. Nothing. She felt despair rising in her chest but forced it away and began the unenviable task again. Teal'c, who had been avoiding Sam's gaze, looked up and was surprised to find fresh tears welling in her eyes. He raised one eyebrow and then went back to maintaining pressure over O'Neill's wounds.

~-~

The army of Jaffa fled through the maze of tunnels and arrived at the 'gate room. Hot on their heels were the uninjured members of the pursuing party but even they could not have prevented the Jaffa's escape – the Jaffa were desperate to get their injured "god" back to a sarcophagus, having not brought one with them. There was a brief firefight, in which no-one was injured, that was over almost as soon as the final chevron engaged and the sound of the "Kawoosh" as the Stargate opened resounded through the corridors. Although the red flashing beacons still lit the grey halls, the wailing siren had long since been turned off. Finally, when Siler had navigated his way to the control switch, the halls ceased to alternate annoyingly between gray and red. A cheer went up, praising Siler for his swift thinking.

The security teams remained on guard at the 'gate, the rest split into different teams: some gathered food and water from the commissary and distributed fairly it between the other personnel; some staggered into the infirmary, found a bed to lie on and fell asleep – or unconscious, waiting for nurses and doctors to help them; the scientists returned to their labs and ran soothing diagnostics on all their equipment. A few stole those gurneys, monitors attached, not being slept on and made their way to the surface with plenty of medical supplies – they were the ones who knew that - if they ever needed it - Colonel O'Neill and the rest of SG-1 would be more than likely to do the same for the other teams.

~-~

Daniel was still kneeling, trying to block out the nauseous sights that surrounded him, when Sam finished the second cycle of CPR. He could only kneel, dumbstruck and sickened, his eyes flitting between the dying and unconscious Janet and the body that Sam was currently trying desperately to resuscitate.

_Oh God, Janet!_

Daniel couldn't help but stare at the horrific, smouldering mess of her burnt back. Immediately, he wished to tear his eyes from such a sight but couldn't. The sight alone sent shivers down his spine and set his stomach writhing.

_Deep breaths...Deep breaths._

He forced himself to turn away from one friend only to look upon another, refusing to come back to life – even _with_ Sam's help.

_Crap Jack, you look a mess...maybe I should help._

And yet Daniel could not shake himself from the trance. "Daniel! Don't just sit there!" Sam yelled whilst compressing Jack's chest. When he failed to respond, Sam screamed at him, "DANIEL! MOVE, GO HELP JANET!"

"What?!" Daniel finally grasped what was happening and leapt from his feet, rushing over to her, "What can I do?" As Sam looked up at him, Daniel, for the first time, noticed the tears streaming down her pale face. Sam could barely control her anger at her friend's inactivity, as she shooed Daniel away from Jack, "Go help Janet!" Daniel was taken aback by the aggression in Sam's voice and that it was directed at him and momentarily stood over Colonel O'Neill, reeling. He stumbled towards the fog of nurses who had engulfed Janet, still feeling sick. Daniel discovered that the nurses also did not appreciate his presence and went to stand at the side to watch.

General Hammond had also had much the same experiences as Dr. Jackson. Seeing the young man standing with his arms wrapped around himself as he, despondently, watched the attempts to sustain the lives of his friends, Hammond walked over and put a weathered hand on the man's shoulder, "Jack's a stubborn man – the most stubborn man I've ever met, in fact – he'll pull through, son." Daniel had a hard time believing the general's comforting words (General Hammond did not believe them himself) but they gave him hope, nonetheless. As if to offer reassurance to the two men, the sound of gurneys being wheeled across the tarmac interrupted their worried silence.

Jack and Janet were wheeled urgently down to the infirmary where they were mobbed by a crowd of doctors, nurses and concerned onlookers. Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and General Hammond watched intensely as the medics set about trying to maintain Janet's life and restart Colonel O'Neill's. They could not tear their eyes away as Jack was shocked by the defibrillator repeated. Nor as a chest drain was inserted to re-inflate his collapsed lung. Nor could they look away as a plastic tube was shoved forcefully down his throat. Equally they could not look away as doctors began peeling melted fabric from Janet's back – until a thoughtful nurse closed the curtain, blocking their view. Daniel went out to vomit in the corridor; Sam felt much the same way although her military training helped subdue the nausea (slightly). Teal'c stood stoically next to General Hammond as Jack's heart was finally restarted – the emotions he felt were solely visible to those who knew him best...and one of them was lying on the gurney in front of him.

~£$%^%$£~

"Wow Carter! You really gave me the kiss of life?" Jack beamed, staring at Sam with his big brown eyes as her checks flushed deep red. "Indeed she did Colonel O'Neill." The group laughed at Teal'c's comment – it was obvious from Sam's reaction.

"Doc! When can I get out of here? I'm bored outta my skull, for cryin' out loud!" Jack complained to Janet for the hundredth time even though she was not even treating him. "Colonel O'Neill...Shut up!" She laughed at Jack's startled reaction and turned to Sam, "I never knew he was so annoying for other patients – I thought it only annoyed my nurses and me!"

"Insubordination! I want charges brought up!" Jack exclaimed jokingly. His outcry caused him to spasm into painful coughing fits as his shallow breathing desperately tried to replace the air lost. When he had finished, Sam was standing next to his bed, loosely holding his good hand. He pulled her towards him and whispered in her ear, "Thanks Sam."

"It was a pleasure Jack. Just...don't do it again." She leaned away from Jack and smiled. Jack smiled happily back – pulling at the many stitches in his face but he didn't care. He kept smiling until eventually he fell asleep and his features smoothed. Sam sat next to his bed and held his hand – the others left them in peace.

THE END

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Thanks for reading. Please tell me what you think.


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